Sleeping car room arrangement



' Aug. 21, 1945. E. J. w. RAGSDALE 7 ,1

SLEEPING CAR ROOM ARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 14. 1943 j I T 4 16i INVATTORNEY sitting rooms.

Patented Aug. 21, 1945 2,383,162 SLEEPING"CAR ROOMARRANGEMENT I Earl J;W. Ragsdale, Norristo wn, Pa}, assignor to Edward G. Budd ManufacturingCompany, Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania AApplicationbctoberll,1943,,Serial No.506,207

9, Claims. (01.105-31'5) Theinvention relatesto sleeping cars andparticularly to the bedroom arrangement of such cars. a l l tCars;equipped with bedrooms havin transversely extending beds haveheretofore notas economically utilized the space available as ispossible, or wherethey have been designed to do so they have done so atthe sacrifice of bed width.

This is for the reason that the arrangement of the hopper ,andothertoilet facilities alongside the bed between the bed and the adjacenttrans:

verse wall of the room has had a limiting tendshowing a portion of asleeping car equipped with rooms according to the invention, theroomsbeing shown in various possible arrangementsand stages ofconversion from sitting room to sleeping room, the section being takensubstantially on the line ll ofFig.2; l r a M Fig." 2 is, a verticallongitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-,2ofFig. ,1;

1 Fig. 3is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially onthe line 33 of Fig. 1; and

, Fig.4 is a similar view taken substantially on ency to the widthof theroom or the width of the bed. i l r It is an object of the invention toimprove the arrangement in such bedrooms without sacrificing comfortablebed width, say 36 inches, and atthe same time make the bedroom of lesswidth than heretofore longitudinally of the car, thereby makingitpossible to arrange more bedrooms in a car and accommodate morepassengers while retaining'substantially all the comforts andconveniences and provide additional ones, as compared with the bedroomsheretofore used, both when used as bedrooms or when converted, into Tothis end, thenovel bedroom of the invention provides the toiletfacilities, such as the hopper, and wash basin, in such relation to theseating andsleepin facilities that such toilet facilities are at alltime readily accessible for use but at the sametime are disposed inposition for use over the floor space normally occuform the sepaarterooms, as A, B, C, D and E. The rooms A and B are shown madeup assitting rooms, theroom C as a bedroom withoutthe pied by a bed;According to anothenfeature of, the invention, the seating facilitiesare made more comfortable by the provision of an arm when converted intobeds, the arm rest so provided is utilized to form a part of the bedextended over the hopper. The seat is further arranged so that it doesnot project into the room the same distance as the bed made up from itso that when the room is used as a sitting room,'

the usual width of floor space is provided between it and the oppositetransverse wall of the room and, while, this space is narrowed attherest between the seat and the toilet facilities, and

bottom when the seatis converted into upper and lower beds, due to thewidened lower bed,

said space may stillj be of a width to provide comfortable space fordressing and undressing.

These and other objects and advantages and .the manner in whichthey areattained will be come fully apparent from the following detaileddescription when .read in connectionwith th drawing forming a parthereof.

In the drawing,

Fig. ltis a diagrammatic sectional plan View The s ectionof the car bodyshown in the drawing comprises, in addition to the usual ,flooringandroof or ceiling, the longitudinally extending sidewalls l0 and, Handthe aisle wall l2 parallelingthe sidewalls. Theside :wall l0isprovided with spaced windows l3, one for each room, and the side wallll flanking the aisle I4. is providedwith windows l 5' spaced furtherapart than windows I 3. l

The space between the floor and ceiling and the side wall l0 and theaisle wall I2 is divided. by transversely extending spaced verticalwalls 16 and II, respectively, interconnecting them, to

bed clothing in place, and the rooms Dand E as bedrooms with the bedsfully madeup.

Toenable two adjoining rooms to be converted into a single large room,the alternate transverse walls H are provided with a wide doorwayopening normally closed by a folding door: l8, as shown between rooms Cand D. The folding door I8 is preferablymade of. a number. of hingedtogether sections having one endsection hinged to afixed wall portion ofpartition (I andetheother end portion locked to a door joint at theoutside wall 40. l

When folded to throw two rooms together, the door l8 may occupy theposition shown between rooms A and B in Fig, 1, where itwill be seenthat these rooms form in effect one large room in which the personsseated therein face each other i and are all in full view ofeach other.l Adjacent each of the transverse wall I .1; th

rooms are each provided with a doorway and door lSleading to the aisle[4. These doors. l9 are preferably two-part doors hinged so as: tofoldoneupon the other and be disposed when open against thickened portionsof the aisle wall at thehinze sides of the doors. 1

Thetransverse walls l6 are fixed walls and it is along these walls thatthe convertible seating and sleeping accommodations are arranged. a

Since the rooms are all similarly arranged, except that the seats in thealternate ones face oppositely, a description of one will suflice forall. It will beunderstood, of course, that other types of rooms may becombined with the rooms of this inventioniin, theisameicar where it isdesired to provide varied? accommodations in jtheg sameicar.

Referring now to rooms A and B which ar arranged as sitting rooms, itwill be seen that t e "22 seat proper 20 is supported a suitabledistance above the floor by a support,t=diagrammatically indicated at2|, and extends,adjacent,the wall I 6 lengthwise from the side;wallglflgajilistanceI inwardly suflicient to provide comfortable .seathThebeds mayt-be finally made ready for occuing accommodations for atleast two people.

Between the inner end of the seat and the the seat and in alignment withthe length ofeth'e seat, is disposed a hopper 22 and above the hopperand f'oldablelij-nto a recess in the thickened 'ais1 \wa;1l' portion; isarrangedi a 'ct'olding"- Wash lk-movable seat-pa -t 24'-isarranged'be'tweenthe hopper 22;the hinged top of wh'ich is substantiallyat the level of the seat snppor-t-2 I and the *seatgproper M;this partHZI being normally held Linea vertical position .ato form an' arm rest."It -is'- held-in thisposition, f as shown,- -'by having its lower en'dtelescope within-*are'ces's as- 25provide'd therefor -irr-th'e seatsupport' 2 I see FigsEZ- and 4.

The thickened aisle wall"portiomhdusi'ng the --wash ba sin when 'foldedas 'shown irf Fig.- may Elbe extended alongt-he aisle wall vertically"to the eceili-ng and laterallyfro'm the doorway I 9 to" the-"transver'se wal1 I=6=and this-space may 'be utilized to .aprovide'other accessories th'e'rein-,=*such as r a t'medicine-closet -etc.-

- I when the 'roomismade Up as a' s'itting room,

the seat;propei-' 20 has avpart 26 hinged thereto at from: outside 1wall' I-U to" thiekene'd I 2 across the length :01- theseat proper,-across the=arm rest I part? 24=-and acposs' thezspace occupied by the?hopper -Z 2 so -that it=may also=serve=asst-back for the hopp r seat. I1

' 12in which theseatarid seatback'may -be converted l :into; an :upperand lower'bed or "berth." The seat frback: 2,1. is: swuhgvupwardly=about= its hi'ng e II 27a Jto the horizontal position,' Fig. 2, to-fo'rni the -.upper iberthsor bed. i It may be supported in thisPosition-by ny suitable means. As shown 't he men-d: adjacent :theoutside wall I0 is supported by -a' linki 28 -whose'- free end loc'ks inaukeyslot 28a i .eformeds' in. a bracket in thecewall I0 Its' oppositer-en'dmay?be:supportecl by a latch, diagrammatithickened portion oftheais'le wall. I

;After the seat'ba'oK- Z 'lf-has been thus secured in i elevated :bedforming position; theseat propen 2 0 is drawn-forwardly on-its support;i; e.; toward the MGM-1y; indicated :at 29,?Fig. 3; ,projectingfrom thenot shown. Ordinarily, the support may be formed with suitable stops,not shown, engaging the parts 24 and 30 to hold them in place. Normally,when the room is made up as a sitting 5 room, the movable part 30 of thebed may be storedminvertical bosilJiOIlbBh'iIld the seat back 21. inrearlof the hopper? 22:-.as 'indicatedin dotted lines in room B, Fig. 2.

' The movable parts24 and 30 make the hopper accessible when the bed ismade up as bysirnply -ZiiliftingTtheedgesof these parts disposedadjacent tthe aislewall 12,. they can be turned about their oppositeedges and thrown back over the parts 20 and 25.

pancyas shown in rooms D and E by adding the usual 'bed'clothes'including bed linen, blankets and pillows, generally indicated at 3 I 10 -room D of Figj that the folding wash basin 23 Ris at su'ch afiheight:above the hopper 22 that it may be swung out about its hinge 23a to--its operative "position d-irectly over"the. -hopper, as shown; when theupper an'd lower beds--are}made :5- up so that it is :alnail-:timeseavailable foruse. 'Fig.- 4 :showsL-in: d0tted1inesli theposition oi -the wash basins23u in its: inoperativeposition felde'dinto; the thickened portion of the/aisle: wall.

"'By reference to room Flg..1,- it wi1l'-be seen W- that theetopiand'bottom"beds are'ef slightly different' width, the bottom 'one"being wider' 'than tthet'op one. This arrangement is desirable,since'the top bed is located at about shoulder eheight an'd :it isrdesi-rable'fon comfortable standssing room Awhile dressing andundressing that .wmore space the -provicled between' the transversedwailseat:shoulderrheight than: at or adjacent the -floor. 1

:Itiwill bezrunders-tood ofecourse, thatthe parts wsentering: zirrtotthevseat and seat back and -a-rm -rest as120,; '24;tand 251an'dtheubeds:comprising'the -samecparts.ian dzitheladditionalfipartii[hare-suitr ably ,upholsteredsand cushioned tto: provide'com- '1afortirinrthe cusei'tor' whichthey' are intended vWhile ;;a .::preferreda'rnangement ha's been showniand;:describediinsdetail; ite'wi ll -beundercstood tthat ccha'nges and rmodifications may be zemadeawithoutdeparting from-the main features :tof the? invention, andasuch changesan'd' m'odifie 59 cations are; intended etc '3 :be covered by the ap--pended:clai-ms.

y .I: .claim:

:,= Aissleepir ig-snarzroom enclosed!tlaterallyfiby:a

tizlongitudinallyzzzextending outsidecwalllr'of' the-car, an .opposedclongituclinally: extending J -aisle wall and .iz'spaced :ttransversewalls ieinterconnecting -saideo1itside andzraisle 1.wal1s,; aiwbedaarranged a srshort distance eabove :the fEHOOI" extending in ilengthialong ...one .;of :esaid atransverse walls and 60' {bein t of 1 -.aewidthaappro aching thee-width of". the rroomeleav ing ,a. relativelynarrow-standing .room space between it and the iopposite transverse '2Wall, ,a .1 hopperearraingeid iunder :oneuend ,-of-.=.the ebedQsaid-end. of the/be d; being readily removable awhile ,{leaving the:remaindersof the 1 bed 1111116115- gturbed; to providecaccess-etohthehopper.

-.2.--A sleeping car:room=accordingetonclaima1 in w-hichea: folding washbasin is: supportedeby the walla-at .the hoppereendwoiethe. bed; said:basin 7 'ebeing r adapted: to cextend cotter {the ebediwihen trmovedto:.operativeuposition. I Q

'33. A-esleepingecar. room naccoirdingxto :clai-m I 1 in which thebediiscoonvertiblez into:asseateextending to the hopper, and a,movableuportion of the bedeextending over ithei hoppers is adjustable Itwill be noted by reference to Fig. 3 and.

to a position in which it forms an arm [rest for the seat and makes thehopper accessible.

4. A sleeping car room enclosed laterally by a longitudinally extendingoutside Wall of the car. an opposed longitudinally extending aisle walland spaced transverse walls interconnecting said a one end of the bed,said end of the bed being readily removable while leaving, the remainderas toprovide access outside and aisle walls, a seat andseat back ing itstop below the level ofthe seat and arranged in alignment with the lengthof the seat,

convertible into upper and lower beds extending along one of saidtransverse wal1s,a hopper havto the hopper.

, 3 6. A sleeping car room having a bed arranged a short distance abovethe floor andextending along one of its walls, a. hopper arranged underof thebed undisturbed so 37. A sleeping car room according to claim 6 inwhich a folding wash basin issupported by the seat having a movableportion normally serving as an arm rest therefor but movable, when theseat is converted into a bed, ,to a position extending over as a part ofthe bed. i

5. A sleeping car room enclosed by; a longitudinally extendingoutsidewall of the car. an opposed. longitudinally extending aisleiwall,and spaced transversewalls interconnecting said outside and aisle walls,a seat and seat back ex tending along a transverse wall, from oneflongitudinal wall of the room to a position adjacent the hopper and servingthe other such wall, a hopper disposed adja :cent the last-named wallbetween the end of the seat and said wall, the seat back extendingbeyond the seat alongthe space occupied by the hopper, and an arm restseparating the seat a from the hopper.

the wall at the hopper end of the bed, said basin [being adapted to;extend overthe moved to operative position 8,41 sleeping car roomaccording to claimfi' in which the bed is convertible into a seatextending tothe hopper, and a movable portion of 1 the bed extendingover the hopper is adjustable to a position in which. itforrns an armrest for, i the seat and makesthe hopper accessible. 1 H 9.In a sleepingcar room, a seat and seat 20 back convertible into upper and lower bedsex,- tendin along one of the walls of the room, a

hopper having its top below the level of the' seat and arranged inalignmentwiththelength of the seat, the seat having am0vab1e portionnormally serving as an arm rest therefor but 1 movable, when the seat isconverted into a bed, to a position extending over the serving as a partof the bed.

hopper and EARL J. W. RAGSDALE.

bed, when I

